Leading Blood Behind Us as both actor and producer, Tanner Beard reflects on the project’s long journey, the making of an action-thriller shaped by intensity and humanity, and what it means to see the film finding its place between festivals and the international marketplace. In this interview, the filmmaker also looks back on collaborating with Michael Madsen, highlights the strength of the cast, and discusses the challenge of sustaining an original story within independent cinema.
Blood Behind Us arrives in Cannes with a blend of action, emotional depth, and strong commercial appeal. What drew you to this project from the very beginning?
Great writing, I mean what a story – and this story kept evolving over time as so many adversitities where thrown towards production and the script had to adapt to survive so i think these characters were all so very lucky to have gotten to be brought to life with the completion of this project.
In addition to starring in the film, you also serve as a producer. What was it like balancing those two roles on such an intense project?
We’ll I’ve alway said I love to build the theme parks but I love to ride the rides so it for sure wasn’t my first rodeo in doing so but with this picture in particular I kinda thought as my self as cheap labor haha – this project was made over the course of 8 years so the only way for it to work was if a character that i played kept evolving and so that was more of the reason I was the lead, which I loved and hope captured an audience but as a producer I would has never cast myself like that has that been my sole job. Hollywood gave me one on this flick haha.
The film carries even greater meaning as Michael Madsen’s final on-screen performance. What was it like sharing this project with him at such a significant point in his career?
Ah, what a tough question but yes I think a lot of producers are out there trying to claim they made Mr. Madsen’s last movie but this was a real and meaningful role for him – he stated to not only myself but the director Brendan G. Murphy several times how he felt about his performace in this in story and how much he wantred to put into it – it was a beatiful collaboartion and I think we were all very sad to learn that this was Mike’s last role but how honored we were and are to celebrate such a performance and we feel a great honor that he careed so deeply for this tale.
Jaime King reunites with Michael Madsen for the first time since Sin City. How do you see the strength of this cast shaping the film’s impact?
Such a great question, yeah what great company were we in to get to follow in the footsteps of bringing those individuals back from my early film heros like Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. It was such a joy to get them work in a scene together too, both demanded the screen so well and it was such great fun.
Blood Behind Us has been described as an action-thriller with emotional depth. How did you work to make sure the film felt not only intense, but also deeply human?
We had such great direction with Brendan and his team, the team at Silver Sail Entertainment made sure this picture was done with such love and compassion for this story because it truely survived so many shut downs of it as a feaute film being completed – and I know the audiecne wont know that going in but I think it has some most indide films don’t going for it as a whole that may come register as a final product for that very reason.
After premiering at the Dallas International Film Festival and now heading into the Cannes Marketplace, how do you feel the film is positioning itself with both the market and audiences?
It’s finding it’s way with the audiences who are getting to see it, becuase look it’s hard for any indie film to catch fire, it’s a miricale really and so we just hope that what we have done as the creators reaches those who love new, real, and orginal stories becasue there isn’t a lot of movies out there like Blood Behind Us but you wont know that until you see it and get enriched by the unique and original story telling.
As a producer under the Silver Sail Entertainment banner, what does this project represent for you at this stage of your career?
I would say it’s a mile stone for sure but if anything I hope it’s a better foundation of what we are bringing to the table in a very, very diffcult industry and I hope we make it look easy to create good content because that’s my definition of professionalism.
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